Excerpt: The Choice

He sighed, "Permission to speaking freely about a superior officer?" She nodded in response.

"Well, ma'am, the General didn't give you a chance to explain. He didn't take into account that the AASF was formed only in 2004. We have only had two years to devolp any sort of technology."

"I am aware of that, Captain," she said and started walking once again, "And I tried to explain that particular fact to the oversight committee. Obviously, they didn't listen."

"With all do respect, ma'am, that part is crystal clear," he said in a sort of huff. She stopped walking, sighed, and lowered her gaurd to the Captain.

"Look, Sam," she said in a very... human tone, "I know what you are saying, and don't think that I didn't stand up for you and your team. I know that you guys are the best in the field of InterSteller Technology and I know that you guys are working your asses off. And, make no mistake, I tried making that clear to the committee."

"I feel a big but coming," he said with a sly smile.

She smiled back in response and said, "But, ever since they allowed military onto the board, things have never been the same. I remember when the board would give you at least seven years to come up with a prototype and to test it. They don't mind waiting for it to be perfect. They want it to be perfect. They don't want another Odessesy disaster to happen.

"But, when it comes to some of the branches of the military, they want their new toys here and now. They don't want to wait until Christmas. And, I swear to God, that I am doing everything I can to keep their grungy little hands off of the presents until it's time."

Feeling comforted and having an new spark of hope come back into his line of sight, he replied with one of his dry, snarky remarks, "Any chance you can get them to wait until New Year?"

Looking back at the Captain, she replied, "Don't get your hopes up, fly boy."

Laughing at the Colonel's response, the Captain caught up with the Colonel and they started walking again. When they finally reached the light of civilation, the Captian looked over at the Colonel.

"Colonel," he said, putting on his hat and striaghting out his jacket, "Thank you for what you did and what you will do today and tomorrow. I don't believe that this project would have gone this far without your help."

She grined and started walking down the steps away from the Pentegon, "Well, Captain," she said turning, "Believe me when I say that I wouldn't do this for anyone or anything. I do believe that there is life out there, and I'll be damned if I see anyone destroy a dream that has been living longer then the idea of freedom from the Britians."

The Captain smiled in response and said, "That and the fact that you want to be the one to fly to prototype."

She laughed, "Yeah, that is a big factor also."

As they reached the bottom of the steps of the Pentegon, the Captain looked up at the Colonel and asked, "Think that Neil Armstrong would be proud of us, Colonel?"

She looked at him, then up at the sky and said, "Yeah, Captain, I think he would be. And I think that everyone from that time would have been also. We are going to do what would be considered magic in the ages before the thought of space travel, the airplane, even the thought of the Earth being round.

"And," she said turning to him, "Who is to say it isn't magic?"